Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Europe Trip Planner - Gathering your thoughts on essentials

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
followin up on this one.

we will be traveling to france/spain (not decided yet) and I know that France and Spain have paid roads.

afe there any discounts for EVs other there? Do I need to buy something in order to go through all tolls?
There are some discounts on the "local tags for local people" (Need European bank account for direct debit), but nothing on the emovis or cash prices.

Tags are available using the eurotunnel link, they're about 25 quid to get.
Advantage is that you don't have to negotiate with a ticket barrier on the wrong side (Wake the wife, have her moan about the length of her arms, complain that you've not parked close enough to the concrete wall which you can't easily judge distance on and will trash your car, etc).
Disadvantage is it's 25 quid extra and no discounts vs cash price

You'll also need a different tag for spain AFAIK
 
followin up on this one.

we will be traveling to france/spain (not decided yet) and I know that France and Spain have paid roads.

afe there any discounts for EVs other there? Do I need to buy something in order to go through all tolls?
no, you can pay contactless and easy if you have a passenger. If you don't, then get a Travel without stopping on European motorways – LeShuttle makes life easy.

Some cities (Reim) have their version of the ULEZ/Congestion charge, so check each place you intend to stay at. No idea on Spain, sorry.
The Sat Nav will hang until you drive about 100 metres in France then will correct itself.
 
There are some discounts on the "local tags for local people" (Need European bank account for direct debit), but nothing on the emovis or cash prices.

Tags are available using the eurotunnel link, they're about 25 quid to get.
Advantage is that you don't have to negotiate with a ticket barrier on the wrong side (Wake the wife, have her moan about the length of her arms, complain that you've not parked close enough to the concrete wall which you can't easily judge distance on and will trash your car, etc).
Disadvantage is it's 25 quid extra and no discounts vs cash price

You'll also need a different tag for spain AFAIK
I actually see that le shuttle allows to get card for France only or France + Spain & Portugal.
 
Last edited:
I actually see that le shuttle allows to get card for France only or France + Spain & Portugal.

Never done it, so only hearsay, but that was to not "stick" it to your windscreen (hold it up., or tape it on "temporary") - I think there was more reasoning than just ability to move to a different car next time / etc. ... but at my age I have no chance of remembering what that extra was, other than that there was something :)
 
I actually see that le shuttle allows to get card for France only or France + Spain & Portugal.

I live in France and also have a place in Spain so drive there regularly. Other badges are available but I've used this for 12 years without any difficulty. I think this link is to the English version of the site: Your Liber-t electronic toll payment subscription | Bip&Go

Edited to say that having looked closer, it doesn't seem you can buy these from the UK - that's a recent development :( Sorry about that.
 
You may wish to get a CritAir sticker as you may need it to get into certain areas in cities. France will provide UK cars with a sticker, just order through the official website (much like EHIC/GHIC, there are loads of dodgy sites acting as agents and taking a commission). Spain has a similar system, however they will only provide the stickers to Spanish cars. Fortunately, Spain recognises the French stickers. I ordered a French one for my UK car and had it shipped to Spain!
 
followin up on this one.

we will be traveling to france/spain (not decided yet) and I know that France and Spain have paid roads.

afe there any discounts for EVs other there? Do I need to buy something in order to go through all tolls?

Used to pay as I went, but decided to get a tag so after reading review above, I’m waiting for my Ulys tag
 
and if so I'm curious if there some reason why the locals don't get a TAG?
These days, the main daily users of the peage are business travellers and trucks - who do tend to have badges.
I know you mean 'locals' in a different sense but unlike the UK, there are so many other quick options for town-to-town travel, actual locals just don't use the peage to get around. The majority of French car drivers only use it once or twice a year for holiday's (which is when you see it at its worst) so presumably can't be bothered to sign-up for a badge as, being French, they are used to waiting for everything :D
 

I live in France and also have a place in Spain so drive there regularly. Other badges are available but I've used this for 12 years without any difficulty. I think this link is to the English version of the site: Your Liber-t electronic toll payment subscription | Bip&Go

Edited to say that having looked closer, it doesn't seem you can buy these from the UK - that's a recent development :( Sorry about that.
I had no difficulty completing the form to buy. However, it requires that your bank will handle Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) multiple direct debits, which mine (Santander, a Spanish bank!) won't. The UK is signed up to SEPA. Does anyone have a UK account that will accept SEPA? One alternative is to open an account in the Channel Isles!

Bip&Go don't accept credit cards and they (or their parent company) have set up a UK operation, emovis, but this charges an annual €8 service charge, which isn't charged in France, making it expensive in years that you don't use it.

This year we are in areas of Spain with free motorways and in Portugal, where it seems simpler, cheaper and necessary to subscribe to EasyToll, which gives a way of charging to your credit card. I say 'necessary' because some motorways in Portugal only accept some form of electronic payment and you can't pay at a booth. Apparently, you get fined if you just drive through (though there seems to be a complex way of paying at post offices over the next few days).

Does anyone have any other advice?

Edit: For clarity, if you have a tag that works in Portugal, you obviously don't need EasyToll.
 
Last edited:

I live in France and also have a place in Spain so drive there regularly. Other badges are available but I've used this for 12 years without any difficulty. I think this link is to the English version of the site: Your Liber-t electronic toll payment subscription | Bip&Go

Edited to say that having looked closer, it doesn't seem you can buy these from the UK - that's a recent development :( Sorry about that.
I should mention they actually offer a discounted version for EV users, waived monthly fee for 1 year and -5% on toll prices in the north of France : : Electric Vehicles Electronic Toll Payment Subscription | Bip&Go Electronic Toll Payment

They seem to ship, as you can select the 'Abroad' option when filling the online form, they just change the shipping cost from 6€ to 10€.

My understanding is as long as you have a bank that can support direct debit, it works. A Revolut account would do
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sparkeur
I had no difficulty completing the form to buy. However, it requires that your bank will handle Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) multiple direct debits, which mine (Santander, a Spanish bank!) won't. The UK is signed up to SEPA. Does anyone have a UK account that will accept SEPA? One alternative is to open an account in the Channel Isles!

Bip&Go don't accept credit cards and they (or their parent company) have set up a UK operation, emovis, but this charges an annual €8 service charge, which isn't charged in France, making it expensive in years that you don't use it.

This year we are in areas of Spain with free motorways and in Portugal, where it seems simpler, cheaper and necessary to subscribe to EasyToll, which gives a way of charging to your credit card. I say 'necessary' because some motorways in Portugal only accept some form of electronic payment and you can't pay at a booth. Apparently, you get fined if you just drive through (though there seems to be a complex way of paying at post offices over the next few days).

Does anyone have any other advice?

Edit: For clarity, if you have a tag that works in Portugal, you obviously don't need EasyToll.
Just rent one from tolltickets.com each time you go
 
followin up on this one.

we will be traveling to france/spain (not decided yet) and I know that France and Spain have paid roads.

afe there any discounts for EVs other there? Do I need to buy something in order to go through all tolls?


We've done UK to France and Spain a dozen times.

EuroTunnel, Plymouth to Caen ferry and the ferry to Santander. If border nonsense continues, might try the ferry to Dieppe.

Totally no hassle with SCs and Destination Chargers. Solar at our place in Spain makes our destination charging free when the sun shines.

Get a Ulys tag for French motorways (unless you want to take B roads). Totally eliminates the ticket machine hassle with RH drivers. Works for some car parks and (gasp) chargers when they can be found and working ;-)

Need a euro bank account, tho. There are UK currency based bippers but they are more dear.

PM me if you want to chat to my navigatrix. Leave luggage capacity for wine ;-)
 
Currently in Switzerland having gone Uk France Belgium france Switzerland Italy!

- get the Electroverse card for charging on non SUC. Their app will locate a charger for you which is on the scheme. We found plenty
- plenty of 11kw destination chargers, meaning this is a convenient option
- buy the Bip and Go tag from Emovis. Will last for years. Only works for France. Available at a discount from le shuttle.

We’ve had no problems if you ignore me driving the car into someone on day 1 in Tuscany.
 
I guess I am due for an update on the trip, which went perfectly fine (as you would expect) with a Tesla.
I have no single con for the trip (apart from ICE drivers being totally Cee You Next Tuesday - excuse my french but on German motorways they are absolutely a pain).
Charging was so easy, to bypass the euro-GBP exchange fees I have used the Revolut card in euro (which I have changed into the app so it takes monies off from it).
The total cost of the electricity was roughly around 320 quid - return (plus the tolls Austria, Hungary and Romania).

Plenty of supercharger spaces, it was busier on Hungary and Austria, less busy in Germany and Belgium.

Car behaved as it should, all was perfect.

Thank you for your advices.

As it regards the French motorway question - nope, you don't get a discount but to make your life easier use Bip&Go to pay for the tolls. (that is what I have been using and they take the monies from the Revolut card). There are way when you can pay less, depending on what route you are choosing and where you are going but for a few euros, it is not worth the hassle, in my opinion. You can use Via Michelin to give you a roughly cost on the French motorways.

Other than that, safe journey.
 

Used to pay as I went, but decided to get a tag so after reading review above, I’m waiting for my Ulys tag
Did you get your Ulys e tag? And is this more convenient than the telepass? Looks like with telepass, you have to pay atleast 36 euros yearly as it is subscription based, though confusingly they also say do not have to pay if you do not travel. I think it is more to do with translating from italian to english.